FANG ISLAND: FANG ISLAND

[rating:3.5]

Fang Island: Fang Island

Label: Sargent House

Release Date: February 23, 2010

Stream the album for free HERE

Dan Deacon, Mr Holland’s Opus, Joe Satanari, Early 90’s After School Specials, The Go! Team and Starburst (the candy). These are all things that come to mind after repeated listens to Fang Island’s eponymous EP. Band members say this music is the sound of “everyone high-fiving everyone.”  And I have to say, I agree: this album is just so easy to love. But a written description doesn’t do it justice. My advice? Buy it and give it a listen.

Since I experienced this album in such a different way, I figured I’d approach this review in a completely different way. Here is my freestyle take on Fang Island:

Only good things, guitar circles and drum rings, celebration, congratulations, block party booming bass,  tweeting, sweeping, smashing, crashing, putting a smile on everyone’s face. Is it Summer yet? It must be Summer. This is the new Summer sound. One foot planted firmly on the f/x pedal, the other never touches down.  Flash, Panache, Substance and style, even the organ seems to smile, Joyful handclaps and blissed-out beats, mighty tighty moogs and keys. Echo chamber echoes, criss-crossing melodies, soaring, soulful ooh’s and aaaah’s, childlike glee. Muscle car guitars, glitter, sparkles and stars. Indie Tabernacle Choirboy choruses blasting from Chevy Cavaliers and Ford Tauruses, reoccurring ditties and nothing remotely shitty. Rock, pop, chamber and twee, psych, freak, alt and of course indie.  Spin it some more and don’t let it stop. In with a snap and out with a pop.

-Casey Bowers